“GOING GREEN” is a hot- button topic for
many people. This was amply demonstrated
by the responses we received following our
July cover story about the various challenges
faced by small businesses that want to lessen
their environmental impact but still remain
viable. We received a host of letters, phone
calls and e-mails from Costco members lauding the subject—or decrying it (for some people, seeing green on the cover made them see
red). We also heard from many members who
wanted to let us know what green steps
they’re taking in their businesses.
—T. Foster Jones

COMSTOCK IMAGES/JUPITER IMAGES

Grreeevnisited

Package deal

COSTCO MEMBER LES Bohush was so
impressed by one of the members profiled
in The Connection that he contacted him to
propose a business deal.

After seeing the story about Groovehouse
Records (
www.groovehouse.com), a Costco
member business in Woodland Hills, California, that offers CD and DVD packaging
made of 100 percent recycled cardboard and
clear disc trays made of 100 percent recycled
plastic, Bohush contacted Bryan Kelley of
Groovehouse Records to see what they could
do together.

“It would be a natural partnership,” says
Bohush. C

Grounds for change

CHAD MCNAIR, PRESIDENT of Aspen
Beverage company (
www.aspenbeverage.com),
has found a new use for the used coffee
grounds that his company used to pay to have
hauled away to the landfill.

The San Antonio, Texas–based company,
which manufactures the coffee base for the
Latte Freeze that is served in Costco’s food
courts, generates a considerable amount of
coffee grounds.

“I think there are about 8 million Latte
Freeze and Mocha Latte beverages served
each year at Costco,” says McNair.

Aspen Beverage has now partnered with
Costco Business Member, Millberger’s Landscaping and Nursery (
www.milbergernursery.
com), to create an environmentally friendly
organic coffee compost at a number of landscaping sites. “The coffee grounds act like a
wetting agent and hold moisture real well,”
says Randy Clayton, operations manager at
Millberger’s. “It is also very acidic, and that
seems to do well in these areas where the soil
has high alkalinity.”

“Water conservation is a
huge issue here in San Antonio, as is reduction of
chemical fertilizers, as all
of our water comes from
an underground aquifer,”
says McNair. “This is a win
for everyone.” C

Killingthemsoftly

PESTMANAGEMENTIS
hardly an area that would
evoke thoughts of green,
evoking instead images of
toxic pesticide fumes and poisons. Yet Hearts
Pest Management (
www.heartspm.com), a pest
control company based in Southern
Califor-nia,hascreatedasizableorganiccustomer
base.“We are the first and only company south
of San Francisco with an organic- and IPM-[integrated pest management] based certification,” says HPM president and Costco
member Gerry Weitz.

JUPITERIMAGES/CREATASIMAGES

The goal of IPM is to reduce or eliminate
the use of pesticides by creating an organic
pest control service and looking at ways to
use non-chemical methods to kill pests.

“For instance,” says Weitz, “as an alternative to the organic products we use, an

IPM inspector may suggest that a customermodify their landscape or alter sanitationmethods. Quick and easy solutions may beto move trash cans out of a garage, or torelocate a pest-infested flower pot. Otherexamples include vine placementand irrigation schedules that canreduce pest infestation. We canalso manage the timing andplacement of beneficial insectsin gardens, orchards and fruittrees to biologically managepests without pesticides.” CJUPITER IMAGES/ PHOTOS.COM